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GUNTUR, January 13, 2012

A lexicographer par excellence

STAFF REPORTER

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Wordsmith:Peddi Sambasiva Rao with his compilation of dictionaries at his home in Guntur.— PHOTO: T. Vijaya Kumar

When Vikram Publishers conceived the idea to update the monumental work in Telugu lexicography, Sankaranarayana English-Telugu Dictionary, three years back, Guntur based Peddi Sambasiva Rao decided to give it a try.

Mr. Rao, who worked as a para-medical trainee in the Medical & Health Department, had edited a magazine on Leprosy, authored six biographies in Telugu and published two editions of Book on Quotations in English, but updating a dictionary was a different cup of tea altogether.

Mr. Rao certainly knew what lay ahead in completing the gigantic task of updating the dictionary running into 1,600 pages and containing 40,000 words. Most of the words used in the original dictionary, though reflected the culture and tradition in those times, have been found wanting in colloquial and modern usage of words. “I observed the standard practices in some of the best dictionaries in the world. I have also noted the frequently used words in written and spoken English and included them in the updated version. The updated dictionary is user friendly, with pictures, is free from redundant words and has Telugu pronunciation of phonemic script,'' Mr. Rao said.

Mr. Rao who grew up in an age without computers, quickly adapted to the technology. He did a course in writing systems and Unicode in Hyderabad and began working on updating the dictionary.

Mr. Rao kept himself abreast of changing technology by using digital dictionaries. He was assisted by his daughter and associate professor, Padmavathi Mahila University, P. Hari Padma Rani and the Vikram Lexicography team. Three years down the lane, the third edition of updated Sankaranarayana Dictionary, has hit the markets and has achieved a roaring success with 40,000 copies being sold.

Mr. Rao has not looked back since then. He went on to compile Basic Two Languages Dictionary, a compilation of 10,000 words in English and Telugu, a mini dictionary and completed a 2 in 1 English-Telugu and Telugu-English dictionary. Mr. Rao is not done yet. He is now compiling a 25,000 word bilingual e-book which would be completed in a month.

Peddi Sambasiva Rao has updated the Sankaranarayana English-Telugu dictionary which has sold 40,000 copies

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Srilakshmi (Kunchanapalli) Yerrabothula

Bio: D/o Kunchanapalli Narasaiah MastaruMana Telugu Radio Host; 

Ramarao Peddi

Here is an article written by Peddi Ramarao on the stage artist "Chimakurti Nageswara Rao"

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